Only post-poll alliance can form govt says Sitaram Yechury

Political leaders are free to form any kind of front before the 2019 elections, but only a post-poll alliance would form government after the Lok Sabha polls, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said.

"Nobody can be denied their democratic rights," Yechury said, referring to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's idea of a "Federal Front" to take on the BJP.

"Let's see how things unfold. People can have their ambitions, arithmetics. Nobody can be denied their democratic rights. Remember, in India, the fronts that formed governments were always forged after the elections.

"Many people form many fronts before elections. But, the government would be formed based on a post-poll alliance," Yechury told reporters.

He recalled that the United Front was formed after the 1996 elections, and the UPA was cobbled together after the 2004 polls.

On the political situation in West Bengal, the leader said that the Left parties' main objective would be to defeat both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress.
"In Bengal, there is no question of joining hands with the BJP to oust the TMC or vice versa," Yechuri asserted.

He also criticised Banerjee for "murdering democracy in West Bengal".

On one hand, Banerjee hails the "victory of democracy" in Karnataka and on the other hand, she "murders democracy" in Bengal, he said.

Asked about the Left's strategy, Yechury said that the Left defeated the Congress in West Bengal in 2004 and helped it form the UPA at the Centre.

"Out of our 61 Lok Sabha members, 57 entered the Lower House by defeating Congress nominees," Yechury told reporters.

Yechury along with Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI's S S Reddy and D Raja would attend the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka chief minister-elect H D Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru today.